An Irish mountaineer has gone missing while descending the more than 13,500-foot Musa Da Mussala peak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Siran Valley, prompting a joint search operation amid rainy and difficult weather conditions.
Police, law enforcement agencies and Rescue 1122 teams have been mobilized to locate the missing climber, identified as Alexander.
According to SP Central Shahnawaz Khan, Alexander had traveled to Siran Valley with British national Alun David Cooper Cledwyn to attempt the summit of Musa Da Mussala.
Mountaineers Successfully Reach Summit
Khan said the two foreign climbers first visited Gilgit-Baltistan before traveling to Siran Valley. They stayed at a resort in Mandachucha on Friday night and began their ascent the following morning.
Both mountaineers successfully reached the summit of Musa Da Mussala before beginning their descent.
However, the climbers later chose separate walking routes while coming down the mountain. According to police, they made the decision during rainy weather, reportedly to make the return journey more adventurous.
Cledwyn eventually completed the descent and reached the Mandachucha resort safely on Sunday.
Alexander, however, did not return to the resort and has remained missing since then.
Search Operation Underway
SP Central Shahnawaz Khan has reached Siran Valley with five teams and is overseeing a search operation for the missing Irish mountaineer.
The operation involves police, other law enforcement agencies and Rescue 1122 personnel, who are searching the mountainous area for any sign of Alexander.
“The British mountaineer descended successfully and reached the resort on Sunday, but his companion is still missing,” Khan said.
The search is being conducted in challenging weather and mountainous terrain, which could make locating the missing climber more difficult.
Mountaineers Traveled Without NOC
Police also revealed that the two foreign mountaineers had traveled to Siran Valley to climb Musa Da Mussala without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the police and other relevant departments.
Authorities are continuing efforts to trace Alexander as the search operation progresses.
The incident highlights the risks faced by climbers attempting high-altitude peaks in Pakistan, particularly when weather conditions deteriorate and mountaineers travel without coordination with local authorities.
